It is customary to employ sliding joints in the rail sections along a track so as to afford some means of expansion and contraction of the rails in response to temperature changes but at the same time permit smooth transfer of a train or other railway vehicle from section to section. Typically, such sliding joints are employed on curves, trestles and approaches to bridges.
The present invention is concerned in particular with that form of sliding joint disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,008,644 to C. O. Wagner and assigned to the assignee of this application. In accordance with the teachings of that patent, the joint is an integral casting constituted of a base flange underlying adjacent ends of the rail sections to be joined, there being a rail point tapering forwardly from one adjacent end of a rail section with one side thereof forming a tapered bearing surface; and the other adjacent end of the rail section is in the form of a curved rail extending along the bearing surface and curving laterally away from the gauge line of the track. The basic concept of this sliding joint construction has been found to be highly effective and durable in use. Nevertheless, in certain applications it is desirable to increase the strength and durability of the joint particularly along that section between the rail point and its connection to one of the rail sections and in such a way as to establish additional bearing surface on the ties and distribute the wheel load more advantageously. Moreover, the practice in the past has been to place a stop member along one side of the rail point to limit the expansion of the wing rail. It has been found to be more advantageous and effective to remove the stop member from the rail point and locate it on the base of the casting so as to transfer longitudinal forces resulting from extreme temperature expansion of the track rail directly into the base of the casting while increasing the strength and durability of the rail point along that section in a novel and improved manner to be hereinafter described.